Friday, May 6, 2011

Etymology

Natives of Kerala, known as Malayalis, refer to their land as Keralam. Scholars agree, that Kerala is the word of the Classical Tamil Cheralam ("Land of theCheras") or chera-alam ("declivity of a hill or a mountain slope/range"). The country was anciently called Cheralam and Cherala Nadu. A 3rd-century-BC rock inscription by emperor Asoka the Great references Kerala as Keralaputra. Similarly, the Roman trade map Periplus Maris Erythraei references the Cheraterritory as Cerobothra.